Accumulator



March 28, 1944 K. R. HERMAN ET AL ACCUMULATOR Filed March 11, 1942 INVENTOR KENNETH R. HERMAN & R MOND c. GRIFFITH 1 WM ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 2a, 1944 2,345,415 aocmum'ron Kenneth Rrnerman, Franklin, and Raymond C.

Grimth; Detroit, Mich, assignors to Victor! Incorporated, Michigan Detroit, Mich corporation of Application March 11, 1942, Serial No. 434,160

2' Claims. c1. 13830) This invention relates to power transmissions, particularly to those of the type comprising two or more fluid pressure energy translating devices, one of which may function as a pump and another as a, fluid motor.

The invention is more particularly concerned with the construction of hydraulic accumulators used in such systems and especially to those adapted for use on aircraft where high performance and light weight are important requiremerits.

in accumulators as formerly constructed for this class of service a common construction has utilized two generally hemispherical shells ioined together with a flexible diaphragm clamped therebetween to form a gas chamber and a liquid chamber. Considerable difficulties have been encopntered in designing a satisfactory screwthreaded joint for these accumulators which will insure a tight seal capable of withstanding high fiuid pressures of the order of one to two thou sand pounds per square inch and atthe same time to utilize an absolute minimum thickness of metal so as to tion as possible.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved accumulator of the type above have as light weight construcmentioned wherein a better sealing engagement of the two shells and the diaphragm is effected with less weight of metal than has hitherto been possible. 1

It is also an object to provide an improved diaphragm and sealing means therefor which is better adapted to withstand the strains of extreme flexure thereof without loosening and which may be assembled easily and with certainty of correct assembly.

A further object is to provide a sealing means for such a diaphragm which is placed under initial compression, locally. when the accumulator is assembled and which is exposed to the internal operating fluid pressure in such a way as to automatically tighten as such pressure increases;

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to, the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred form of th present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a cross section of an accumulator embodying a preferred form or the present invention.

- Figure 2 is a dildo view of a power transmission system including the accumulator of Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary views 01' the rim portions or the accumulator of Figure 1 showing various stages 0! assembling th sealing means.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown diagrammatically a conventional power transmission system including a pump l0 adapted to be driven by any suitable prime mover, not shown. The pump in has a. suction conduit I! for withdrawing liquid from a tonic M and a delivery conduit i6,,- The latter incorporates a pressureresponsive unloading valve it which acts to'bypass the full pump delivery to the tank at negligible pressure through c. bypass conduit 20 and, at the some time, maintains a back pressure in conduit which leads to a liquid connection 241 of an air-loaded accumulator 28.

Gonduit 22 has branch conduit 28 which extends to a conventional four-way reverse valve 3d. The latter has a tank conduit 32 and cylinder conduits it and leading to a fluid motor till of conventional construction and which may be connected to drive any suitable load device. The abovedescribed circuit is typical of the class of power transmission circuits with which the accumulator oi the present invention is particularly adapted for use.

Referring now to Figure 1, the accumulator comprises two generally hemispherical cups til' I and 42 arranged to provide a generally spherical closed chamber. Clamped between the two cups is a flexible diaphragm M which divides the spherical chamber into an upper air chamber 46 and a lower liquid chamber 48. Suitable connection bosses are provided at 50 and 52, the

should either the liquid or air chamber-become completely empty.

The two hemispheres Ill and 42 are provided with thickened rim portions II and 62, respectively, the former having an internal screw thread formed at Bl and the latter having an external screw thread formed at GI. The rim I is also provided with a shoulder at 68 which abuts againstthe edge of the threadedporidon ofrim l2. Rims I and '2 are provided with an annular recess ill and 12, respectively, which resolves the periphery of the diaphragm 44. This periphery is formed as shown in the drawing in a somewhat triangular shape in cross section, and, due to the flexible nature 01' the material oi which the diaphragm 44 is formed, it acts to automatically seal the joint between the two cups 40 and 42 against leakage under any pressure. As shown in Figure 3, the diaphragm 44 is provided with an annular recess I4 on the center of the outer edge of its periphery and /or on either side thereof with a pair of humps l5 and I1 to prevent the pinching oi the edge when cups Mi and 42 are in their assembled position, a shown in Figure 4. It will be seen in Figure 5 that leakage is prevented under any pressure, that is, the higher the pressure, the tighter the seal be= comes, being pushed tighter against the outer wall 01' the annular recesse it and I2. Figure 5 shows the aforesaid reaction of the sealing means, illustrating the indentations formed at m and is by thge; high pressure and the-absence of the re cess 2,345,470 r It will be noted that the wallsoi the two hemispheres 40 and 42 are not truly spherical throughout. their full extent but include a portion near the rims 80 and 62 which is conical portions and the point at which they join the The diaphragm M is preferably formed of a fiemble oil-resistant material, for example, syn- For the purpose of separating the air from the oil, regardless of the relative volumes oi fluid within the accumulator 2B, the diaphragm is provided with annular corrugations 8t and t2 oi varying depth. The central portion of the diaphragm 44 is made significantly thicker than the remainder thereof and is provided with a fabric reinforcing disk at. The lower face of the diaphragm M is provided with a plurality oi pairs of radial ribs 88 so as to prevent, when the diaphragm id is pressed against the full surfacev oi the oil chamber $2, the trapping of oil therebetween by allowing it to escape through the grooves formed by the ribs 86.

The rim to may be provided with holes to suitably spaced around its periphery for the reception of a spanner tool for screwing and unscrewing the cups. One pair of such holes is provided with small cross bores so through which a safety wire may be threaded and fastened to the holes 92 on the extended portion oi rim 652 to prevent accidental loosening of the threaded oint.

In operation of the accumulator, liquid under pressure is stored in the oil chamber dil to a maximum pressure determinedby the unloading valve it. Air or other suitable elastic fluid under the some pressure is stored in. chamber 66 and acts to maintain pressure entire liquid in chamber so. This pressure, while not absolutely constant, may nevertheless be sumcient at all times to provide the necessary operating pressure for the motor lit. The volume stored in the liquid chamber it serves to augment the pump delivery during periods of high consumption at the motor 38, while the volume is replenished during periods of lower consumption.

When the accumulator becomes filled to a substantial volume of liquid, the rising pressure in both chambers actuates the unloading valve it to discontinue further delivery by the pump until such time as the supply of liquid in chamber 48 is depleted to the point where the unloading valve it again directs the pump delivery into service.

rim portions 68 and 52 are such that the afore-v said mean radii intersect at or near the pitch line of the threads 64 and 66 when extended thereto. Thus, in this way there is avoided the setting up of any bending stresses which tend to bend the rim portion and/or 62 in directions or a direction which would separate the two hemispheres. V

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form,

it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A fluid pressure accumulator comprising two hemispherical cups and a flexible diaphragm assembled together to provide fluid-tight liquid and gas chambers on opposite sides of the diaphragm, said shells being formed, each with an annular l -shaped groove along its inside edge and in register with the groove of the other memher, to provide a. recess of generally triangular cross-section with its base lying in a cylindrical surface at the outside of said recess, a part of said base lying within each shell, whereby a crack is formed between the shells and. adjacent said recess until the shells are finally drawn into assembled relation, and a sealing ring formed on the periphery of the diaphragm-of a volume suficient to substantially fill the recess after final assembly and being shaped so as to be distorted in the process of assembly in a manner to keep the sealing ring from being pinched in said crack.

2. A fluid pressure accumulator comprising two hemispherical cups and a flexible diaphragm assembled together to provide fluid-tight liquid and gas chambers on opposite sides of the dia phragm, said shells being formed to provide a recess of generally triangular cross-section with its base lying in a cylindrical surface at the outside of said recess, and a sealing ring formed on the periphery of the diaphragm, said ring having a volume sumeient to substantially fdli but insufflcient to become clamped in the recess after final assembly but of a shape slightly varying from the shape of the recess whereby the ring will be distorted in the process of assembly to set up localized pressure contacts between ring and recess effective to seal at low pressures in the accumulator and being further distorted by the application of high pressure in the accumulator to more tightly wedge the ring into corners of and against the outer wall of the 

